Community Music Center's 2026 Spring Gala Featured Artists and Speakers
Members of the San Francisco Symphony and SF Symphony Youth Orchestra
About the San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony is among the most adventurous and innovative arts institutions in the United States, celebrated for its artistic excellence, creative performance concepts, award-winning recordings, and standard -setting education and community engagement programs. Since it was established in 1911, the Symphony has grown in acclaim under a succession of distinguished music directors: Henry Hadley, Alfred Hertz, Basil Cameron, Issay Dobrowen, Pierre Monteux, Enrique Jordá, Josef Krips, Seiji Ozawa, Edo de Waart, Herbert Blomstedt, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. The San Francisco Symphony is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians and music lovers through a comprehensive range of educational programs. These include Fisher Family Adventures in Music (AIM) and Music and Mentors, which serve more than 25,000 San Francisco public school students annually; interactive youth and family concerts; heritage events; and the prestigious, tuition-free San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. With a reputation for artistic daring and a dedication to excellence, innovation, and community engagement, the San Francisco Symphony continues to shape the future of orchestral music, making a lasting impact on the cultural fabric of San Francisco and the world.
About the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra
The SFSYO's success is rooted in its innovative, tuition-free training program which taps members of the San Francisco Symphony to coach Youth Orchestra members in individual instrument sectionals every Saturday. Nowhere else do young musicians receive this kind of regular, direct access to guidance from some of the finest orchestral musicians in the world.
The SFSYO's programming is on par with that of a professional orchestra. Its three subscription programs each season include repertoire that ranges from Mozart's Jupiter Symphony to Strauss's Suite from Der Rosenkavalier to Mahler's Symphony No. 1.
Le Jazz Hot
Le Jazz Hot (the Quartet/Trio of the Hot Club of San Francisco) is an ensemble of accomplished and versatile musicians celebrating the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli's pioneering Hot Club de France. The ensemble borrows the all-string instrumentation of violin, bass and guitars from the original Hot Club, but breathes new life into the music with innovative arrangements of classic tunes and original compositions from the group's superb lead guitarist Paul Mehling. Hearing the ensemble live, or on any of their eleven albums, carries the listener back to the 1930's and to the small, smoky jazz clubs of Paris or the refined lounges of the famous Hotel Ritz. Often called gypsy jazz, the music of Le Jazz Hot has entranced audiences around the globe for over 30 years. Critics have hailed the group's playing as "intricate, scorching and often brilliant…" Acoustic Guitar. From festivals in Mexico and France to concert halls across North America, Le Jazz Hot keeps this historic music fresh and alive. www.LeJazzHot.biz
Community Music Center Students and Faculty
Eliot Valz, member of CMC's Teen Jazz Orchestra
Eliot Valz is a 10th-grade musician and performer at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts in San Francisco. He performs with Marcus Shelby's Teen Jazz Band at CMC, Old Skool Cafe, and his rock band, Thorn. Thorn just released their new EP on Spotify, and they will be heading to the Treefort Music Festival in Boise, Idaho, in March. Eliot's musical development has been shaped through mentorship with artists including Marcus Shelby, Kyle Blaze, and Javi Jiménez. Eliot is eager to continue growing as a musician through collaboration with diverse artists in professional and creative music spaces. Follow him at @eliotvalzmusic for updates on his musical endeavors.
Javi Jiménez, CMC Faculty
Javi Jiménez has been with CMC since 2025, working with private lesson students in jazz, blues, latin, pop, and rock guitar, and currently teaches a Jazz Manouche ensemble at CMC.
Born in Madrid, Spain, Javi has been playing and studying guitar for over 25 years. In 2007, he graduated from the Conservatory of Jazz Music in Barcelona, Spain. During this time, he discovered the music of Django Reinhardt, fell in love with it, and started studying it.
In 2010, Javi moved to California; since then, he has been performing & working as a studio musician. He composes, arranges, and performs in his own band Barrio Manouche, a Blend of flamenco, Jazz Manouche, and Latin rhythms. The band has played at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Outside Lands, Django Festival, and Stern Grove Festival, and he has opened and shared the stage with national and International acts such as Devotchka (Little Miss Sunshine), Pink Martini, Boulou & Elios Ferré, and La Santa Cecilia. He also, as an educator, teaches and leads the guitar department at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts (SOTA) in addition to his work at Community Music Center.
Members of Mariachi CMC
Members of Mariachi CMC will be performing a selection of pieces from their growing repertoire. This ensemble is composed of dedicated youth participants from our Mariachi CMC and Mission District Young Musicians Programs.
Each of these talented students plays a vital role within our music community, often serving as section leaders on their instruments and mentoring their peers. Through their commitment, artistry, and teamwork, this ensemble represents the next generation of tradition-bearers- honoring the rich legacy of Mariachi while continuing to grow as musicians and cultural ambassadors.
Daphne Gonzalez Cambambia - violin and voice. MDYMP Alum and Mariachi CMC teaching assistant
Angel Rosales - saxophone - MDYMP Alum
Ari Zaragoza - vihuela - Mariachi CMC
Kuheli Michele - guitar and voice - MDYMP
Sam Carter Pearl - guitarrón - MDYMP and Mariachi CMC
CMC's Children's Chorus
directed by Beth Wilmurt
Children discover their voices and learn to sing with a group in CMC's Children's Chorus. Students are introduced to musical skills to become careful listeners, better singers, and build confidence in an environment that emphasizes cooperation, teamwork, and fun. With a patient and supportive approach to learning music, children are encouraged to express themselves and develop a lifelong love of singing.
Laura Chen, CMC Merit Scholar
Ross McKee Memorial Scholarship in Piano
Laura Chen, age 17, is a student of Elyse Weakley at the Community Music Center (CMC). She also participates in the Young Musicians Program at CMC, guided by Christian Bonvin. Laura is a senior in the piano department at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts (RASOTA) under Artists-in-Residence Franz Zhao and Ava Soifer, where she has studied duet repertoire, vocal and opera accompaniment, and chamber music. Additionally, she was a winner of the 2025 Concerto Competition and performed Grieg's Piano Concerto Op. 16 with RASOTA's orchestra at the Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall. In July 2025, she performed in two masterclasses with Sonia Leong and Natsuki Fukasawa at the University of the Pacific. Laura plans to study biochemistry in college to pursue a career in healthcare while balancing music as a hobby. In her free time, she likes to catch up with friends and enjoy a comforting meal.
Speakers
Kari Lincks Coomans, emcee
Kari Lincks Coomans is the founder and CEO of Red Curtain Addict, a media and discovery platform that helps audiences discover, learn about, and attend exceptional performing arts experiences locally and around the world. A classically trained oboist who made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2023, Kari brings an artist's perspective, thoughtful insight, and genuine curiosity to every stage she steps onto.
Through Red Curtain Addict, she hosts red carpets and artist interviews at leading arts organizations across the Bay Area and beyond, curates cross-genre arts experiences, and champions live performance through storytelling that connects audiences more deeply to the creative process. Red Curtain Addict was recently named "Best Arts Resource in the Bay Area" by San Francisco Magazine.
Kari has proudly served on Community Music Center's Gala Host Committee for the past three years. Expanding access to arts education and ensuring that young people have the opportunity to discover their creative voice is central to her work and advocacy. She is honored to serve as Master of Ceremonies for this year's Gala in support of CMC's mission.
Franco Finn, auctioneer
Franco Finn is a San Francisco native, small business owner (Franco Finn Productions, LLC), and member of the San Francisco Film Commission. He is best known as the In-Arena MC and TV Personality for the Golden State Warriors, now in his 24th season, where he energizes 20,000+ fans each game as the iconic "Warriors Hype Man." Franco has appeared on ABC-7 KGO-TV, KRON 4, and serves as an MC/host for Cal Bears Football & Basketball. His hosting career spans major national and international sporting events, including NBA All-Star, FIBA World Cup, Major League Cricket, SailGP, Rugby World Cup, and EuroBasket.
A professional benefit auctioneer, Franco is a graduate of the prestigious Mendenhall School of Auctioneering and holds the Benefit Auctioneer Specialist (B.A.S.) designation. He has helped raise millions for organizations such as the American Red Cross, March of Dimes, Ronald McDonald House, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, and Make-A-Wish Foundation.
For booking inquiries: [email protected]
Angel Rosales, student testimonial
Angel Rosales has been a student at Community Music Center since the summer of 2020, part of a "class" of students nominated and admitted to CMC's Young Musicians Program during the pandemic, who began their classes online. He persevered through a full year of online lessons and classes before meeting his teachers and fellow students in person. In the first year of "re-opening," he participated in CMC's centennial "Re-Imagine" project, creating an original piece, entitled "Angel's Journey," which captured not only the minds and hearts of the CMC community but was also arranged for the Hoover Middle School Band by his teacher. Angel has continued for 6 years in the YMP Program, initially in the MDYMP program, learning Latin music, and shifting to Jazz studies, and now forms part of the YMP Jazz ensemble and Teen Jazz Orchestra. Angel has studied under the direction of Charlie Gurke and Miguel Govea. His talent has been recognized by his teachers, who have invited him to play as a guest artist in some of their professional ensembles, and he has acted as a musical support to Mariachi CMC. He is currently a senior at Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School and plans to attend a four-year university to pursue business, and later attend law school.
"I have been with the community music center for about 6 years. I have participated in MDYMP, YMP, Teen Jazz, and Mariachi CMC. I've been under the direction of Charlie Gurke and Miguel Govea. I currently attend Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School, and I plan to attend a four-year university to pursue business and later law school."